The formidable sabre Hóngyá is no more. Or, in a way, it still is, although mostly in pieces. Because yeah, while it had been a pretty sturdy blade, even a sturdy blade could only take so many hard hits. Or maybe it was simply time – time long overdue, as a matter of fact.
Jiao Zilei isn’t sure exactly where System 403 is, but⸺ well, Zilei is bound to find out eventually, right? They’re supposed to leave this world together after all, and it would really suck to get left behind, especially given that Jiao Zilei currently has no body of his own to inhabit.
He isn’t a System after all, and while Systems generally hitch a ride in the headspace of their Hosts, they could just as easily move about in animal companion forms or even just possess small animals or objects inside of the world itself. Jiao Zilei could probably not do that – and if he could, then he certainly doesn’t know how.
In hindsight, maybe Zilei ought to have spent just a tiny bit more of his time and effort on learning and honing cultivation techniques beyond those directly involving the sword. But, you see, Zilei had been a tiny bit busy and all. Like, he’d had the secret spy network to run and women to flirt with and Frosty to tease and, yeah, he hadn’t exactly felt very keen on working himself to death and all, given that it had been death from overwork that had landed him this transmigration gig to begin with.
Ah, Zilei misses college. Like, he doesn’t exactly miss studying and all, but he definitely misses the year he’d spent abroad as an exchange student. Because he’d honestly had the time of his life then.
Then again, that isn’t to say that he hasn’t had the time of his life on other occasions. This transmigration gig isn’t honestly all that bad, most of the time.
Granted, there are obviously also times that are far less enjoyable, as well as times when Zilei isn’t really sure what to make of the situation. And this particular one happens to belong to the latter.
“Huh, they didn’t even notice me.”
Well, to be perfectly honest, it’s either that or them flat-out ignoring him – neither of which is an actual impossibility, per se. Then again, with the events Zilei had just come to witness, either scenario could be forgiven. Because they had been quite preoccupied with other things and all.
Again, he crouches down, his semi-transparent hand hovering just above the pieces. It’s a shame, truly. It had been a good blade. The only real issue was that he’d had to be in it. Also, while his blood had certainly been used, most of the metal had still come from his own blade, Rèxīn.
“Shame.”
There’s little that he can do about it though, so Zilei straightens back up.
The cave around him is dark and empty now. It doesn’t bother him though, because as a ghost, he doesn’t really require much light – or any, to be perfectly honest.
He needs no light, because he does have a direction to follow. It’s faint, granted, but the pull is definitely there.
System 403’s presence is faint, obstructed by many barriers, but in the end, the connection in-between System and Host is too strong to be easily obstructed. The fact that neither of them are actually of this world might also play some part in it though.
He sighs. “I guess I better start walking then.”
Unsurprisingly, Zilei’s trek eventually brings him to the palace of the Demon King. There’s a fair number of guards posted; the guy is undoubtedly being cautious. It makes sense though, if the guy is currently hosting not just the Systems but also three whole generations of the Bai lineage – provided that the last one counts, that is.
“Honestly though...” he snorts. “Blood with extreme healing capabilities? That’s like mega OP!”
It is; there’s no real doubt about that. However, at the same time, seeing his old friend sprout wings of all things does explain a whole lot about the guy, including why he’d acted like such a standoffish little bastard at times.
Well, in any case, Zilei would still have to get in, wouldn’t he?
Mind made up, he walks right up to one of the guards and says: “Hi!”
No reaction. Huh. “Hellooooooo?”
Zilei waves his hand in front of the guard’s face, but receives no reaction.
Strange. Weren’t demons supposed to be able to see ghosts? Weren’t cultivators normally capable of it as well, at least to some degree?
Oh well.
Zilei calmly steps around them and begins his ascent. Damn these palaces, why do they have to come with so many stairs? Also, Zilei is a ghost. Why does he get tired so easily?
Then again, even ghosts had to run on some sort of energy, and Zilei’s ghostly batteries are probably running low. The question is how to recharge them.
Ah, this sucks. Zilei used to have so much stamina. This meanwhile reminds him of that time when he’d transmigrated into the body of some severely asthmatic musical genius and been tasked with exacting bloody vengeance upon the greedy relatives that had stolen his life’s work and left him for dead after pushing him over the edge of a cliff.
Zilei – or rather the transmigrator currently playing the role of Jiao Zilei – had been thrown over the edge of whole bunch of cliffs since – many of them as Jiao Zilei, and usually by Frosty. It had all been in good fun though, because as a cultivator and as a Peak Lord at that, Zilei hadn’t been particularly fragile.
Besides, if the other transmigrator had really wanted to hurt him, then he would’ve tried a lot harder.
And yeah, supposedly there’s some clause about avoiding transmigrator-on-transmigrator violence, much like there’s allegedly one about avoiding System-on-transmigrator violence. Was there one about avoiding System-on-System violence though?
Zilei wonders about that. He also wonders what Systems are like when they are off the clock. Like, did they really refer to themselves as “This System” or “System Whatever” when talking to one another, or were they a lot more casual about it?
System 403 tends to be relatively formal with him, calling him “Host” and all. Occasionally though, he – she, they, it? – slips up and refers to him as “you”, “you idiot”, “you damned idiot” or “you absolute tool”.
Speaking of Hosts though, coming to think of it, there had been that one world where Zilei had been like an actual host.
Courtesy of his then-family being in quite dire financial straits, he had begun working at a host club, where he’d encountered various women – some hot, some not, some nice, some not.
A particularly hot one had turned out to be the fiancée of some pretty high-ranked member of the local mafia, and then⸺ Yeah, things hadn’t exactly ended well for him over there and Zilei would never be able to look at threesomes quite the same way again.
Anyways, speaking of pretty women, there’s the Demon King’s harem. Now that Zilei is a ghost, he should totally⸺ not go anywhere near it, because if he gets distracted now, then he might just end up getting ditched.
It’s an outright shame though. Because, like, the Demon King has a harem, but if that Limao’s words could be trusted, then the guy hadn’t actually touched any of them – not like that, at least.
Then again, that would imply that the words of Youming Limao could be trusted. And frankly, Zilei remains just a tiiiiiiny bit salty about the whole getting-killed-and-eaten-and-shoved-into-a-sabre thing. Like sure, she had been pretty awesome in bed, and JZilei hadn’t had to die a virgin this time around, but still?
Speaking of virgins though⸺ “Hm... where’s Frosty?”
He keeps walking.
Zilei keeps walking. He keeps walking and he gets lost, because even though this is not his first time inside the Demon King’s palace, it’s been a while since last time around and Zilei can’t keep track of every tiny bit of information. That’s what Systems are for, and also what head disciples are for.
Coming to think of it, Little Ziyu has to be around here somewhere. Like, he obviously has to be, and Zilei wonders if perhaps he ought to go look for him – for him or for Jun, his actual son. At the same time though, maybe not – he’d tried to make himself heard while he was still inside that damned sabre, and no one had really been interested in what he’d had to say then, and now, Zilei really needs to find and reunite with System 403.
He keeps moving until he senses a sudden disturbance in the Force – a disturbance that turns out to be none other than Little Mingming, Frosty’s icy little disciple, who rounds the corner wearing a cold but for him absolutely infuriated expression.
It’s actually pretty scary, and even though Ziyu’s curious, instincts tell him to keep his head down and not draw attention to himself – and to, if possible, slowly and quietly retreat in the opposite direction. Ziyu doesn’t do that though. Instead, he follows him.
Keeping up isn’t easy though, because that damned brat is power-walking and Zilei’s stamina is next to non-existent. Damn this ghost body – it really sucks!
But at least he makes it. At least he⸺
Uh? Isn’t that⸺? “Frosty?!”
And that is indeed Bai Jixue – all grown up now, and naked from the waist up – lying on his stomach with a pair of massive wings attached to his back and one crafty taxi driver practically straddling him. Ah Hell, what had Zilei just walked in on?!
Jixue stirs, blinking dazedly his direction. Could he hear him? Sense him?
“...Zilei?”
Apparently so.
Immensely relieved, Zilei steps closer. He doesn’t get very far though, because the sharp gaze of the Demon King immediately lands upon him, and Zilei finds that the look in those eyes is actually quite dangerous. That is far from the only dangerous thing however.
“You⸺” That’s Little Mingming, blade in hand. He isn’t pointing it at Zilei though, but at a certain Demon King.
“Me,” the other says, eyes flickering briefly towards Zilei. “What about it?”
“You⸺”
A⸺ah. Little Mingming’s angry. He’s so angry that he’s practically shaking; angry to the point of risking another bout of qi deviation, no doubt. Somebody should probably put a stop to that – not Zilei, of course, because Zilei’s ability to interfere appears to be, well, practically non-existent at this point?
Meanwhile, Frosty pushes himself up, and the Demon King moves aside just enough to let him.
“I asked Àiyǎn to groom me,” he says. “He knows what he’s doing.”
Oh, from the look on the guy’s face, the guy most definitely knows what he’s going. The question is, does Jixue? Little Mingming does seem to be paying attention though, given the twisted look on his normally quite emotionless face.
“Why can’t I do it, Master?”
A⸺ah. Why isn’t 403 around? Zilei urgently needs popcorn.
“It’d be improper.”
Ah, Frosty. That would be improper? Is the situation at hand not already a shining example of impropriety – by this world’s standards, that is? Wow. Just wow.
And all this is coming from the same guy who’d once gotten so flustered over Zilei taking his shirt off that he’d actually frozen everything over within a five-metre radius, then hissed and pushed him off of a cliff for having the audacity to touch him – which had been quite a reaction considering that Zilei had just tried to check him for a fever. Like yeah, the guy had always been more than a bit touchy on the subject of getting touched, but now...
Talk about double standards, honestly. The thought makes Zilei chuckle though. Because why refrain from it, when nobody seems to see him or consider him worthy of attention? Or at least so he thinks, right up until he has to dodge an incoming sword strike.
“Geez, people!” he shouts, backing away. “Just a poor ghost passing through, looking for my ticket out of here! Stop trying to make me even deader!”
The aggressor doesn’t seem to hear him though. Little Mingming does seem to sense him however, because while some of the strikes are a bit off, the ones following are a whole lot closer to the target.
Then, bam, a miracle!
“Mingyue, stop trying to cut down your martial uncle.”
Ah, Frosty! He actually cares! Or maybe he’d just rather not deal with the additional paperwork.
Yeah, it’s almost definitely that. But hey, salvation is still salvation, right?
“So...” This is a bit awkward. “I’m kind of lost? Could either of you tell me where System 403 is?”
Shortly thereafter, Demon King steps out and then returns, albeit not with System 403 but with another.
[Oh, good,] says System 225, riding atop the Demon King’s shoulder. [You made it.]
Zilei would’ve liked to know exactly what the System is implying, but for once, he doesn’t pry. He isn’t exactly sure about what’s going on here, but⸺ “Where’s 403?”
[System 403 will remain behind for a bit longer to assist me, System 225, with a certain matter,] the other System bluntly informs him. [This System will send you ahead.]
Oh. Well, Zilei had no idea Systems could do that. But that’s fine.
He cautiously steps closer, and when the ferret scurries down the Demon King’s shoulder and into the latter’s palm, Zilei hesitantly reaches out to brush his finger over that soft white fur.
And then, just like that, he stumbles out of one of the Gates and into the area known as the Lounge, and quickly collapses onto one of the benches there, utterly spent.
“Fucking Hell, what was that all about?”
There’s no answer, and for a while, he just lies there, staring up into the ceiling.
The Lounge – and the bigger structure it is part of – is, as the name implies, awfully reminiscent of an airport. It even has restaurants and small gift shops, almost all of them fairly expensive. Zilei doesn’t have the means to buy anything though, given that 403 is the one handling the Points, which is basically the currency around here.
So, there’s nothing left to do but wait – nothing to do but wait and try to familiarise himself with the thought of being someone other than Jiao Zilei again. Zilei had picked that name out for himself, and while there’s nothing wrong with his original name, it feels strange to go back to it after having answered to Jiao Zilei for so long.
He idly wonders what kind of world he would travel to next – but hopefully one that isn’t too boring but not too exciting right off the bat either, and hopefully not a zombie apocalypse of some sort, because those things tend to suck a lot.
Zilei has no idea how long he stays on the bench, just staring up into the ceiling at the nearest ceiling fan as it spins round and round and round.
Ah, this place, he thinks. This place also sucks. This place also⸺
The sound of the nearest Gate opening has him scrambling to his feet, and he turns around just in time to see those exiting the Gate.
There are three orbs, one of them in one of those old-fashioned birdcages. System 403, System 225, and System 700-something?
“Where’s⸺” Jixue? Or whatever his original name was. Where⸺
The brightest and largest orb bobs up and down once in a seeming bow before floating off, the birdcage in tow.
Unnerved, Zilei – no, not Zilei, but whatever – instead turns to System 403 for answers. And just as he does, there’s another noise from the Gate.
It’s the grating sound of grinding metal combined with the noise of an electronic lock sliding into place, and what follows it is a heavy silence that makes Zilei’s hairs stand on end.
“403, what’s going on?” he asks. “What’s happening? Where’s⸺?”
System 403 turns slightly towards the Gate. [As per the request of a System Admin, World 220 will be locked down and sealed.]
Sealed? “What does that even⸺?”
[Responding to Host, a World being sealed indicates that it will be protected from System Interference for a set duration of time. As per the request of a System Admin, World 220 will be free from System Interference for a minimum of 1,001 years.]
What? “Where’s Jixue?”
There’s a beat of silence. Then⸺ [System 403, responding to Host: As per the request of a System Admin, the former Host of System 225 – You Bingleng, alias Bai Jixue, alias Vector – has retired from the position of Host and will live out the remainder of their lifetime in World 220 and upon death enter the local reincarnation circuit. The same principle applies to former Host of Unlicensed System 707, ‘Yue’. This concludes System 403’s report in response to the inquiry from Host.]
What? “Retired? That guy? That guy would never⸺”
The Gate turns red, then black.
Zilei – no, no longer Zilei – experiences a sudden chill; a sudden sense of trepidation.
“Oh.” He blinks, then shakes his head to dispel the notion.
Then he chuckles weakly and scratches the back of his neck as the realisation hits. “Fuck, I didn’t say goodbye, did I? Shit. I thought⸺”
He’d thought there would be no need. He’d thought Frosty would be coming in right after.
Still, Frosty retiring? Who would’ve thought? Who would’ve⸺?
System 403 settles atop his shoulder, transforming into its animal companion form; a black cat with orange eyes.
[It’s only 1,001 years on their end,] System 403 intones. [On ours, it is less. Host, shall this System set up a countdown?]
A countdown?
He swallows.
For some reason, he finds it hard. It’s weird. It’s probably the whole ghost thing though. “Nah, it’s fine. System 403, when’s our next mission?”
“Basically, I don’t know what happened to the fool after that,” the Demon King said, shrugging. “I mean, System 225 made him go away and I’m obviously happy about that, and once the rest of it had been taken care of, well⸺”
He trailed off, then smiled with obvious satisfaction.
“Now that things have been settled, there’s obviously the wedding to prepare for,” he then said, rising to his feet. “I’d obviously like a proper ceremony for Jixue and myself, but I’m not going to push it. Besides, Jixue really hates such stuff – ceremonies and court protocol and all that. I mean, I do keep things pretty casual around here most of the time, but⸺”
He slid his hands into his sleeves, then took on a significantly more dignified demeanour.
“Pardon me, Peak Lord Jiao. But I must really get going.”
And with those words, he swept out to greet the advisor he’d kept waiting, leaving Jiao Ziyu alone to process his words.
